Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and any unrecognizable characters and dialogue.
So sorry about the wait... this is what happens when I publish two chapters within a week and half of each other. Enjoy!
Chapter Playlist: 'Lena's Magic/Love Theme' from 'Beautiful Creatures OST'
Neverland
"Feels like just yesterday I welcomed you to Neverland the first time, Baelfire." Felix drawled as he and Baelfire walked through the jungle, the new prisoner just ahead of him. "Gotta say, hoped I'd never see you again."
Calling back over his shoulder, Neal said, "Then maybe Pan shouldn't have taken my son and my sister."
Felix's expression was savage. "Maybe you should've left well enough alone."
"I'm gonna get them back."
"You really believe that? You were a lost boy. You know Peter Pan's not be to trifled with. You know how long he's been searching for the heart of the truest believer. Do you really believe he'll just… give him up?" He gave a dark smirk. "Not to mention how long he's been without Lily… you know how bad it got when she was taken from him the first time."
Neal ignored that valid point; Pan had been almost mad with grief when Lillian had disappeared decades ago. "Maybe, if I ask nicely, Pan might listen to reason."
Felix chuckled at the old lost boy's misguided belief. "You may have grown up, Baelfire, but it would appear you have grown up stupid."
"I have grown up." Neal agreed with a shrug. "I don't know if I'm stupid or not, but I do know I know how to tie an overhand knot."
Twisting his hands free of said knot and wrapping the rope around one, he whirled around and drove his fist into Felix's temple. The startled boy went down with a sharp, pained exhale and crumpled onto the jungle floor. Panting slightly, Neal shook out his fist and gathered the rope, discarding his jacket while he was at it.
"I'm not a boy anymore, Felix." He glared down at the boy. "And I sure as hell ain't lost."
With that, he sped off into the jungle, intent upon finding his family and taking them home.
Enchanted Forest
Sweeping into their tiny hovel, Rumpelstiltskin retrieved the gift he'd gathered for his son and placed it before him on the table. Finally glancing up from his sketches, Bae frowned at the sight of the jeweled dagger.
"A present, Bae. Something to sharpen your coal with."
Bae eyed the dagger warily. "Where did you get it?"
"Oh, from a man who no longer needed it." Rumple replied lightly, side-stepping the issue entirely.
"You mean taken from a man who couldn't pay you." Bae's voice was sharp with disappointment.
"Bae…"
"Papa, I told you, I don't want any more gifts from the people you terrorize." Reaching out, he tossed the dagger back across the table and looked away.
Rumpelstiltskin tried again. "Then what do you want? Tell me, son. What would make you happy?"
"Leaving this place." Bae muttered, rising to his feet and gesturing around the small, cramped, one-room shack. "I'm tired of staying in this hovel all the time."
"Well, that's easy to fix. How about a castle, huh? I could build you a palace so magnificent its shadow would blanket the countryside." Warming to the idea, he was prepared to do just that before his son stopped him.
"That's not what I mean." Stepping around his father, Bae went to sit by the fire, arms wrapped tightly around his knees. "I wanna go out, have friends, see the world beyond these four walls. Papa, why can't you just trust me to do that?"
"I do trust you, Bae. It's… it's others that I can't." Hating to see his son so sad, Rumple rushed to reassure him that he was not the problem. "You see, I have many enemies beyond that door. And once you leave, any one of them could hurt you."
Bae arched a brow. "You sure that's the only reason?" He challenged his father. "Maybe what you're really worried about is if I leave, I might never come back."
"No, no. I… I… I'm worried about your safety. This is the best place for you." Had it been possible, Rumpelstiltskin might have paled at the unspoken threat. "I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost you."
Neverland
With the map spread out on a stump, and the others spread around her, Emma pointed at the spot where Tinkerbell claimed Pan's real camp was located. "This is where they're keeping Henry - Pan's compound. According to, uh…" She trailed off, eyeing the blonde fairy, unable to keep a straight face.
"Tinker Bell." Said fairy offered helpfully.
"Yes, I know." Blinking rapidly, she returned her attention to the map, still imagining the woman before her in the tiny green dress of the Disney character. "Still weird to say."
Not understanding why it was so difficult for the other woman, Tinker Bell shrugged. "'Tink' is fine."
"Not sure that's any better." Emma muttered with a grimace, wondering at the madness that had become her life. "Anyway, she says that there are sentries position across the front, which is why we are gonna come in through the back here," she pointed at the spots as she spoke. "Tink's gonna talk her way in, and once she makes sure the coast is clear, then we're going to sneak on in."
"You'll still have to deal with the lost boys once you're inside." Tink reminded them, brow creased in thought. "And Lily, maybe." She twisted to look at Hook. "From what you've all told me, I'm assuming that she and Pan are not seeing eye to eye at the moment?"
"Not likely," Hook said, stroking his chin with his hook. "Too much has happened for her to forgive him so quickly."
Looking between them, David narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "What, exactly, is going on between Lillian and Pan?"
Hook froze, looking guiltily toward Emma and Mary Margaret, who had quietly told him to never discuss Lillian and Pan's relationship in front of the prince. "Well, you see, that's a rather complicated tale…"
"They're lovers, David." Regina rolled her eyes when the man's face started to turn an amusing shade of puce. Ignoring his loud sputtering, she turned to Tink. "I think we can handle a few children with pointy sticks."
"It's not the sticks you need to worry about." Tinkerbell snapped over Regina's snide commentary. "It's the poison they're dipped in."
Mary Margret nodded. "Dreamshade. Hook warned us."
"Good. Because one nick, and you'll spend the last of…"
Unable to hear any more, David stood and cut the blonde fairy off. "Poison stick equals death, we got it." Ignoring the expression Hook wore, as well as the look of concern on his wife's face, he addressed Tink. "Now, when can we put this rescue mission into action?"
"I'm ready to go," Tink replied flatly, "just as soon as you tell me the exit plan." When there was no forthcoming response, she eyed the group warily, frowning when no one would directly meet her gaze. "You do have an escape plan, don't you?"
"It-it was more of a last minute trip," Mary Margaret replied weakly, resisting the urge to look away from the incredulous dismay on Tinkerbell's face.
"If you don't have a way off this island, then none of this matters."
Regina arched a brow imperiously. "We'll figure it out."
"You'll figure it out?" Tink repeated derisively. "No one comes and goes from this place unless he allows it! This is a waste of time."
"Hey," David moved, stopping her from storming into the trees. "When it comes to family, we always find a way."
Rather than be moved by his conviction, Tinkerbell merely stared him down. "You don't get it. Here, let me show you something." Reaching into her faded tunic, Tink produced a wristwatch. "You know what this is?"
Emma arched a pale brow, unimpressed. "Yeah, a watch."
"I got it from the people who brought your son here for Pan."
At once, Tink had her complete attention. "Greg and Tamara? Where are they?" She demanded. "Why'd they give you that?"
"I got it off the girl's body." Tink replied with a calm that was unsettling. "Spent half the night cleaning the blood off it. I won't even mention the state of her face. And the other guy… we'll there wasn't enough left of him to find anything useful." Returning the watch into her tunic, she scowled at the ragtag group. "This is what Pan does to people he employs. What do you think he's gonna do to you? I'm not sticking my neck on Pan's chopping block without a way off this island." Arms crossed, she turned on her heel and strode off into the jungle. "When you figure that out, you know where I live."
Mary Margret started forward. "Where the hell is she going?" She asked in a shrill voice.
David stopped her before heading towards the disappearing fairy himself. "I'll get her, bring her back."
"Don't." Emma sighed heavily, reaching out to stop him. "She's right. If there's one thing I've learned, you never break in somewhere unless you know the way out."
Regina scoffed. "And where'd you get that from? In bail bonds-person school?"
Emma's eyes were grave. "Neal taught me that."
"What about you, Hook?" David asked suddenly, taking the focus off his daughter. "You got off this island before."
"Yes, aboard my ship, which would require some form of magic to create a portal." Hook said easily, omitting several keys facts. "Which… I got from Pan in a deal I don't think he'll be prepared to repeat."
"So, no one one except Lillian's ever left the island without Pan's permission." Regina exhaled sharply, irritated all over again.
"I know of one other." Hook corrected her, seeking out Emma's gaze. "Her partner in crime, Neal."
Emma blinked at him. "How?"
"Maybe we can find out."
Had he been in a better mood, Gold would have found it somewhat amusing when he accidentally stepped directly into the path of a patrol of lost boys and they demanded that he stop. Lip curled in distaste, he knocked the boys out with a flick of his fingers. "I don't take orders."
Prepared to move on, he paused when there was more rustling from across the clearing. Unable to move, he watched in stunned disbelief as his son raced out from the foliage, stumbling into the small space. Both froze at the sight of one another, and Gold was the first to react.
"Bae?" Within seconds, he came to the swift realization that, like Belle, Bae was not truly here. "You're not real. You're dead."
Rearing back in surprise, Neal shook his head. "What? Of course I'm real! What the hell's going on?!"
"You're a vision, just like Belle." Bending down, Gold grabbed hold of one of the spears the downed lost boys had been carrying.
"No. No, hey." Neal raised a hand, very much aware of how much danger he was in if his father believed him a threat. "Listen to me. It's me. I was shot." He tugged at the collar of his shirt to reveal the almost healed wound. "Okay? But I survived. See? I'm alive."
"My son is dead!" Gold snapped, advancing on the mockery of his pain. "You're just here to remind me of my failure!"
"That's not why I'm here."
"My weakness."
"Put the spear down." Neal ordered, backing up with each step his father took forward.
"You're here to question my resolve. But you won't succeed." Moving forward, he pinned the vision to the ground with the spear tip pressed to his neck. "I will sacrifice my life for Henry. And nothing will stand in my way!"
Wide-eyed, Neal stared up at his papa, pain filling his eyes at the agony that twisted his father's face. "Please, papa." He whispered, praying his father would believe that it was him.
With a sudden gasp, Gold jerked back and dropped the spear. "Bae? Is that really you?"
"Yeah," Neal replied, cautiously sitting up as his father fell to his knees.
Reaching out to enfold his son in his embrace, Gold breathed heavily as Neal returned to hug. "I thought I'd lost you forever."
Enchanted Forest
Though he disliked leaving Bae alone when business called him away, Rumpelstiltskin knew he couldn't bring his son along when he dealt with his deal-breakers. However, his son's saddened comments that he wanted to leave their home, that he felt stifled within the small four walls, resonated within him. The more he thought of it, the more he agreed that perhaps it was time he and Bae found another place to live. Their home was filled with memories, too many of which were painful, and Rumple could say with certainty that he would enjoy seeing the home Milah had destroyed burn to the ground.
With a spring in his step, Rumpelstiltskin entered their home, clutching a shining, gem-encrusted crown in one hand. "I was thinking…" He began dramatically as he entered, back to the main room. "Only a king should live in a castle. "So, why won't you try this on for size?" He swung around, holding the crown up high, only to be met with empty space. "Bae?"
When morning came in the small village of Hamelin, the usual silence was broken by the frantic cries of parents as they discovered, one by one, that the beds of the children were empty. Within the hour, a crowd had gathered in the center of the village.
The head magistrate stood in the center of town, surrounded by dozens of concerned, frantic parents. "All right, now listen," he held up his hands in a placating, hoping to ease their worried minds. "We'll start organizing search parties right away."
None were prepared for the sudden appearance of the Dark One, his scaled features twisted into a fearsome expression. "You think you can hide him from me?" He demanded shrilly, sweeping into the crowd so rapidly that all cried out. "Where is he? Where's my son?!"
Patience already stretched thin, he nearly snapped when the crowd did little more than stare at him in horror, murmuring among themselves. Finally, the man who had addressed the crowd earlier moved to stand between his people, and the wrath of the creature before them.
"He's not here, Dark One. I swear!"
"Don't lie to me!" Rumpelstiltskin screeched, causing the townspeople to cower in fear. "Magic has led me to this rat hole of a town! His trail ends her, in Hamelin. I know you're hiding him from me!"
"No. No, we're not." Trying not to cower, the man began to explain the situation. "Many of our children went missing last night, lured from their beds by some unholy music."
To their great relief, Rumpelstiltskin paused. "What kind of music?"
"From the Piper." The man spoke the stranger's title like a curse. "Only the children could hear it. Some of them tried telling their parents, but no one believed them and they were sent back to bed." He gestured to his fellow villagers, who were nodding along with his story, faces pale and drawn. "And this morning, they were gone."
"And who was playing it?"
"No one saw his face. O-only a figure hidden by a pied cloak of multi color patches, leading the children from their homes and into the forest." Quivering with fear, the man attempted to convince the incensed Dark One that the village was as much a victim as he was. "Don't you see? It… it has to be the same man that has taken your son."
Lips splitting in a fearsome smile that sent chills up the spines of the townspeople, the Dark One hissed, "Then whoever this Pied Piper is, he's about to play his last note."
Neverland
"How is this possible?" Gold asked, eyeing his son as if he expected him to disappear.
"It's kind of a long story." Neal waved off the interest in his father's eyes. "Let's just say that the debt Robin Hood owes you has been paid."
That little tidbit brought Gold up short. "You were back in our land?"
Neal nodded. "Yeah, but I made it here. The only thing that matters now is that I help Emma save Henry and Lillian." He glanced around, eyes briefly lingering on the lost boys. "Where is she?"
"I left her and the rest of them aboard Hook's ship." He informed his son matter-of-factually. "As noble as their intentions may be, they don't have the stomach to do what needs to be done."
"Like what you did to these boys?" Neal arched a brow and made to check on them but stopped himself. "They're not, uh…"
"No, they're just sleeping." As he spoke, Gold's expression darkened with distaste for the minions of Pan. "For now."
"Let's leave it that way, okay?"
"You don't have the stomach either."
"I'll do what needs to be done." Neal countered his father, scowling. "But killing lost boys? We don't have to do that."
Gold have a noncommittal shrug. "We shall see."
"So, I take it you have a plan?" Neal asked, glancing over to see his father wearing an expression of foreboding. "The whole "sacrifice your life" thing was just you being dramatic."
"Well, it's the only way. Pan's too powerful." Gold informed his taken aback son, calm and composed. "You can only beat him if you're willing to die, which I am."
Sighing at his father's conviction, Neal stopped and turned to give him a half-smile. "What if I told you there was another way?"
They made it to the beach quickly, aided by Gold's magic. Though he still wasn't a huge fan of such a thing, Neal acknowledged that time was of the essence at the moment. Striding toward the shoreline, Neal scanned the sand and picked up a large, white conch shell.
"So, what exactly is your plan?" Gold asked, eyeing the shell curiously.
"You know how if you hold a shell up to your ear you can hear the ocean?" Neal asked, turning the shell over in his hands to study it and make sure it was the right one. "Certain shells, the ocean can hear you." With that, he raised the shell to his lips and blew into it. The long, droning note echoed across the waves.
"Why would we need the ocean to hear us?" Gold asked, rather snidely, when nothing happened for several heartbeats. Soon enough, the ocean began to stir, and it soon became obvious just what his son was doing. "What have you done?"
Satisfied that it had worked, Neal lowered the shell and held out his hand. "Give me the spear."
Tying the rope Felix had bound him with on the end of the spear, Neal held it up just as a large squid swan up toward the beach. Taking aim as it advanced on them, Neal threw the spear and caught the creature right in the side. It thrashed wildly for a few moments, during which both Neal and Gold had to hold onto the rope to stop it from slipping away. Soon enough, the squid fell lifeless, and Gold turned to stare in bemusement at his son.
"A squid?"
"That's right. I believe you know how to extract ink from one of these bad boys?"
Gold had to chuckle faintly at the inspired brilliance of his son's plan. "Squid ink. So this is your plan?"
Neal nodded. "It can immobilize the most magical of creatures. At least for a little while…" Together, they hauled the beast onto the shore. "Even Pan."
"I have some experience with it." Gold admitted lightly as he examined the squid.
"Can you get it out?"
"Indeed. But how do you plan on getting close enough to use it?"
Neal sighed heavily. "I don't need to get close. All I need is one clean shot to get Henry and Lillian back."
"Well, leave that to me." Flashing his son a faint smile, Gold rolled up his sleeves and set to work on extracting the ink from their prey.
The large collection of vines Hook led them to was unimpressive and, if they were honest, a bit of a let down. Never shy in voicing her opinion, Regina eyed the vines as if they had personally offended her.
"What is this supposed to be?"
Emma agreed with her. "So… what, Neal swung out of Neverland on a vine?"
Hook sighed at them. "Well, if someone would be kind enough to lend me a hand…" He held up his hook, smirking when they rolled their eyes at him. "What do you say, savior?"
Disliking the flirtation Hook had kept up with his daughter, David stepped forward. "I'll do it."
Following the pirate's lead, David tugged and pulled at the vines, pausing when Hook leaned closer. "You don't look so hot, mate."
"It's a hundred degrees in this damn jungle." David hissed back, peering around to make sure no one heard their exchange. "And I'm plenty hot."
Soon after, Hook found the hidden switch to open the cave for them, and the two men stepped back as the sound of stone scraping on stone filled the air. Everyone watched as the entrance was revealed.
"Ladies first," Hook gestured grandly toward the trio of women, waiting until they had passed before he stopped David from following. "How much longer do you think you can keep up this charade?" He queried in a low tone. "Don't you think your family deserves to know you're gonna die?"
David glared at him. "What do you care?"
"Why don't you?" Hook retorted just as angrily.
"What is the good in telling them when there is nothing I can do to stop the poison, when there is no hope?"
"Well, if there's one thing I've gleaned from you hero types, it's that there's always hope."
Something in Hook's tone made David look closer at the man before him. "Is there something you're not telling me, mate?"
Hook shot him a charming smile. "Alas, hope and reality are most often worlds apart. I told you the truth." He assured the skeptical blond. "You'll never make it off this island alive."
"Well… then this is between us." Scowling, David moved to follow the others. "The only thing they need to worry about saving is Henry." He stormed into the cave, leaving Hook no choice but to follow.
"Hook!" Emma called loudly, turning from her perusal of the cave when the man entered. "What is this place? What are we doing here?" Glancing around again, Emma paused, looking stricken when she realized what was in the space. "Neal. This is where he lived."
Hook gave her a nod. "Aye." Setting down his lantern, he strode further into the cave the boy had claimed for his own. "Baelfire spent some time in Neverland as a boy. This was his home."
"So you think he may have left a clue as to how he escaped from here?" Mary Margaret asked, eyeing her daughter worriedly.
"Well, let's hope so," wearing an unpleasant expression, Hook told her, "or we'll be lost just like he was."
Enchanted Forest
Seated on a rooftop in Hamlin, Rumpelstiltskin stared out into the quiet village, listening. He didn't have to wait long, for around the witching hour, a low, haunting melody began to trickle in from the forest. Head tilting curiously, he watched as several windows and doors opened, revealing young boys who raced from the safety of the city and their beds for the siren call of the Pied Piper.
Eyes glittering with madness, Rumpelstiltskin followed the trail of the boys deep into the woods. The further he went, the louder the music became. Soon, it was joined by rhythmic drum beats and the laughing and hollering of the enchanted youngsters. Coming upon a clearing with a large, roaring fire in the center, the Dark One watched as masked, hooded boys danced around the blaze.
"Bae!" He cried out, eyes darting around the clearing, attempting to identify anything of his son's. "Bae!" Worry threatening to consume him, he grabbed a nearby boy, lips curling when he didn't see his son's eyes gazing back at him. Moving further into the clearing, his eyes caught sight of a Pied cloak. Vanishing, only to reappear behind the cloaked Piper, his hand lashed out, crushing the pipe. "Where is my son, Piper?"
"Is that what they're calling me?" A low, amused voice queried heartbeats before the owner turned and drew down his hood. "We both know who I really am." Emerald eyes gleamed in the shadows, while thin lips twisted into a malicious smirk at the sight of the Dark One's stunned horror. "Been a long time, laddie. Glad you could make the show."
It was a struggle to stop himself from backing away from the unexpected boy in front of him, but Rumpelstiltskin somehow managed. Panic swelled within him at the sight of Peter Pan, and he had to fight off the rising nausea the sight of the boy brought him. For his part, Peter eyed the now grown up man with interest.
"You surprised to see me, Rumple? I don't blame you." Peter said conversationally, as if he hadn't abandoned the man before him when he was barely older than Bae when Milah left. "I'm a little surprised myself." He admitted with a little shrug. "Look who's all grown up and become the Dark One! Good for you."
"What are you doing here." Rumpelstiltskin muttered, unable to take his unsettled, golden gaze off the boy before him.
"It's been lonely in Neverland." Peter admitted, adopting a pathetic, small voice. "The only friend I have are the children who visit in their dreams… but they can't stay. The boys I take back with me will."
"You're here for my son." Rumple managed through numb lips.
Pan's answering smirk was all mischief. "I am."
"It's gonna take a lot more than a magic pipe to take my son."
"The only thing magic about that pipe is that only certain boys can hear it… boys who feel unloved, boys who feel lost." Pan told him, smirking at the stricken look Rumple wore. "I guess that's why you can hear it, Rumple. Isn't it?"
"Don't pretend to know me." He growled low in his throat. "You don't. Not anymore."
Pan's eyes gleamed. "Oh, I think I do. Beneath all that power, you're nothing more than an unloved, lonely, lost boy." He paused, smirk curling up the side of his cheek. "Hey, I like the sound of that. That's what I'll call my new group of friends. The lost boys." He crowed the title proudly. "It has a nice ring, don't you think?"
"You can call them whatever you like." Rumple dismissed him. "Baelfire will not be part of it."
Pan shook his head. "Oh, he's already a part of it. The question is, what are you willing to do to get him back?"
Rumpelstiltskin bared his teeth in warning. "I'm gonna make you regret ever asking that question."
"Oh, I understand you're upset. Most parents' worst fear is that their child will be taken away from them." He continued conversationally, as if he wasn't pouring salt into old, festering wounds. "But that's not yours, is it, Rumple? No. You're not afraid Baelfire will be taken from you. You're afraid he'll leave. After all, being abandoned is what you're good at, isn't it?" His words cut deeply, each one designed specifically to hurt, and Rumple couldn't stop himself from flinching. "Everyone you've ever known has left, haven't they? Like Bae's mother Milah. Not to mention your own father and brother. Why should Baelfire be any different?"
"You're wrong."
"Am I?" Pan asked innocently, head titled to the side like a cat. "Well, let's find out, shall we? You ask Baelfire if he wants to come to Neverland with me or stay here with you. If he wants to stay, I'll leave and never return. Deal?"
"I don't have to make any deals with you."
"But why wouldn't you, if you're so sure he'll stay?"
Neverland
Sitting beside Henry, Lillian kept her eyes fixed resolutely on one of the fires when Peter came to sit by them. Over the last day and a half, she had managed to avoid being alone with him, to his obvious irritation. That he expected her to fall over herself in gratitude was grating, and she was tired of Peter pretending that everything was all right. Henry agreed, sticking to her side the entire time, refusing to be alone with Peter.
"You don't want to join the celebration, Henry?" Peter asked over the heavy, rhythmic beat of the drums. Every so often, he caught the curious glances Henry peeked at the dancing, whooping lost boys; Lillian's glances, full of longing, were harder to catch, but they were there.
Henry glared mulishly at him. "Nothing to celebrate."
"Nothing to celebrate?" Peter echoed incredulously, chuckling when Henry averted his gaze pointedly. "Henry, this whole party is to celebrate you."
"Me?" Henry deadpanned, still unable to hide the curiosity in his voice. "Why?"
"Because you've come to save magic, of course." Peter told him, green eyes desperately attempting to catch Lillian's gaze over the boy's head. As she had for the last day, she avoided him, lips pursed. Sighing to himself, he turned his attention back to Henry and gaze a charming smile. "And I, for one, can't think of a reason more deserving of celebration than that. Just look at them!"
Despite their efforts, both Henry and Lillian followed his arm when he gestured to the dancing lost boys. Luca spun by them, careening like a drunk, and caught sight of Lillian's upturned face. He beckoned for her, grinning widely; the expression dimmed when she tore her face away, hands curling into fists in her lap. She refused to play Peter's game, no matter what he threw at her. Still, it hurt to ignore him, to ignore Luca and Caleb, and all the other lost boys she had cared for.
"I'm not like them." Henry denied quietly, unaware of Lillian's inwardly struggle. It was hard for him to deny the boy, to deny the sway the island and its inhabitants had on him. "Or you."
"Sure you are." Peter gave an easy shrug, eyes glittering strangely in the firelight. "You're still a boy. Maybe a song will get you on your feet."
Caught up in ignoring his words, Lillian barely had enough time to turn her head, a warning on her lips. Stricken by the sight of his pipe at his lips, she could only stare, green searing into blue, as Peter began to play. The melody was familiar, low and haunting, and flooded her senses with it. Struggling to fight through the sudden haze in the air, Lillian swayed in her seat.
"Sorry," Henry muttered, brow creased in confusion when no sound came from the pipes Peter was playing. "I-I don't hear anything."
Peter's arrogant expression froze, something like rage building in the depths of his darkened gaze. Dragging his eyes from Lillian, he turned his attention to Henry and lowered the pipe from his lips. "Interesting." He breathed, blinking swiftly at the wrench in his plans. "You see, this pipe's enchanted, Henry. It can only be heard by certain children."
"Like who?"
Felix entered the camp then, shadowed face filled with rage. Catching sight of him, Pan's expression became shuttered. "You'll find out soon enough," he promised flatly, rising to his feet to join Felix across the camp. "What? I know that look." He breathed sharply at the unhappy looking boy before him. "What happened?"
"Baelfire." Felix snarled back in a low voice, eyes blazing. "I'm afraid he got away."
"Well, then why didn't you get him back?" Pan demanded just as quietly.
"I tried." Felix gave a helpless shrug. "I followed his trail, and found two of our sentries knocked out… by a sleeping spell."
Comprehension dawned in Pan's dark gaze. "The Dark One." He hissed Rumple's title like a curse. "So, father and son have been reunited."
"They'll be coming for the boy." Felix intoned flatly, refusing to bring up that they would also come for their princess. "We should move him somewhere safe."
To his bemusement, Pan's lips twitched into a smile. "Now, now, Felix. Where's your sense of adventure?" He all but teased his second in command, turning his head to where Henry and Lily sat. "We can't end the party when the real fun is about to begin."
Gazing around the cave Baelfire had called home for so many years, Hook caught sight of Emma pausing as she looked through the personal belongings in the cave. Crossing the room in a few swift strides, he quietly announced his presence.
"Anything important?"
Having heard his approach, Emma glanced over her shoulder. "I can't tell yet. I didn't know he liked drawing." She admitted, holding up several charcoal drawings, several of which were of Lillian. "I guess I didn't know a lot of things, to tell you the truth."
"Well, he got a love of drawing from his mother," he told her, inwardly thinking of the drawing Milah had made of Bae that he still carried. "As for the drawings of Lillian, well… they were all each other had on this island for a long time, Emma. They were thick as thieves."
In her mind's eye, Emma flashed back to the way Lillian had reacted to Neal's death. The girl had fallen apart; nothing nearby had survived her pain, and Emma still wasn't sure how she had. "What did Lillian do to Tamara?"
Hook stiffened and slide his kohl-rimmed eyes her way. "Lilith's favorite spell was to summon fire, luv. But, despite all the time I spent with her, never did I see her do what she did to Tamara with that devil's fire she created."
For a brief moment, Emma feared she'd be sick. Tinkerbell had claimed something was wrong with Tamara's face, and now Hook was wearing a haunted expression and talking about Lillian summoning blue fire. Somehow, despite everything, Emma had never truly viewed Lillian as dangerous until that precise moment.
Clearing his throat, Hook rushed to change the subject matter. "Find anything useful in those drawings? A map, maybe?"
"Nothing." Shaken from the dark turn her thoughts had taken, Emma shot him a grateful look. "Hand me that candle," she asked, taking it to look more closely at the surroundings. "What about you? Any luck?"
"No potted bean plant or swirling vortex under the rug, if that's what you mean. There may be no rug at all." He gestured towards the other end of the cave. "There are other drawings on the far wall, but as far as I can tell, that's all they are. Probably just a way to pass the time and keep occupied."
Emma paused in her serach of the drawings. "You knew him pretty well, didn't you?"
"We spent some time together." He admitted, though would say no more. "You all right there, Swan?"
As usual, she found she didn't know what to do with his concern. "I'm fine. Looks like you're right. They're just a bunch of pictures." Setting them down, she moved off to where the others were, unaware of Hook pocketing several of the drawings. "What's all this?"
Mary Margret glanced up from her own search. "Uh, just some cups and bowls he fashioned from things he found here."
"Don't know how great a cup this coconut could make." David held up the object in question, peering at the bottom. "It's filled with holes."
"Uh, maybe it's a tiny colander." Mary Margaret offered.
"Yes, because preteen Baelfire probably made lots of pasta." Regina observed dryly.
Gazing intently at the coconut her father held, Emma reached for it. "Hold on. Hook, snuff out that torch." Taking the candle she held, Emma waited for Hook to follow her orders before she placed the coconut half on top of the candle.
"Am I supposed to be impressed that he made a night-light?" Regina asked as the cavern was lit up with a pattern of light.
Emma was gazing up at the ceiling, expression open and almost happy. "Look up."
Mary Margaret was the first to follow her lead. "Stars." She breathed, recognizing several constellations.
"It's a map."
David glanced between Hook and the lights. "To where?"
Emma's voice was faint and trembled with hope. "Home."
Neverland
Peter knew the moment their uninvited guests arrived, but chose to stay silent and let things play out as they would. As the sleeping spell was cast, followed by a sudden gust of wind, every lost boy slumped down, falling into a deep sleep. Even Lillian, sitting with Henry, staring vacantly at her fingers, fell over, her body acting as a cushion when Henry fell to the ground after her.
Though he bent over at the raw, unbridled power of the Dark One's spell, Peter did not fall under its affect. "We have a guest!" He announced to those around him. "No doubt someone who knows how much I like guessing games." Rising to his feet, he turned in the direction of said guest. "Who could it be? I guess…" Negligently waving a hand, he reignited one of the torches, casting the shadowed figure half-hidden by the jungle into light. "The Dark One."
Obligingly, Gold stepped out from his hiding spot, expression foreboding. Dark eyes swept through the clearing, a desperate, searching light in them. When they landed on Henry, the relief was instant, but it was almost crippling when he caught sight of Lillian. Satisfied that they were, for the moment, safe, Gold returned his gaze to Pan, who watched, looking as if he had nothing to worry about.
"Come to save Henry and Lillian, have you laddie?" Pain flashed across Gold's face, so quick Peter thought he might have imagined it. "How exciting," he continued blithely, as if unaware of the stony, hateful expression the man before him wore. "The Dark One ready to sacrifice his life for his family. Speaking of family…" Flicking his wrist, he lit another torch, throwing the second interloper into sharp relief. "You can come out now, Baelfire."
Striding from his hiding spot to flank Gold, Neal carried with him a crossbow that he had loaded and aimed at Pan. "Name's Neal now." He commented lightly, matching the bored tone of the boy standing before them.
"New name, but same old tricks." Pan returned with a derisive smirk. "It's heartwarming to see father and son working together, especially after you abandoned him, Rumple." Smirk deepening when he saw his words had their intended effect on Gold, he added, "This is a real family reunion."
Gold had had enough. "What are you waiting for?" He demanded, eyes filled with worry when he glanced toward Lillian's sleeping form. His spell shouldn't have had any affect on her, and yet she was unconscious like the rest of them.
"I got this." Neal retorted before pressing the trigger.
Having expected this, amused that the father was unconsciously echoing what his son had done, Peter caught the arrow just before the tip pierced the skin of his chest. Panting slightly, he tossed the arrow down in disgust, something like disappointment clouding his eyes when he recognized the smell of squid ink.
"Clever." He praised. "But we've been through this before, Baelfire. Have you remembered nothing?"
"I remember plenty." Neal said coolly as he lowered the crossbow. "That's why I didn't coat the tip."
Eyes widening as, too late, he realized his mistake, Peter raised his hand just as the squid ink did its job. A purple, shimmering glow enveloped him, spanning from his feet to his neck. Unable to move anything but his eyes and mouth, Peter watched as the father and son duo went about taking Henry and Lillian away from him.
"Grab Henry," Gold ordered in an undertone. "I've got Lillian."
"Well, how about that. I'm impressed." Though it was difficult, Peter's gaze followed them, filled with a dark threat that had even Gold on edge. "But, are you sure you're really saving him, Bae?"
"What could be worse than leaving him here with you?" Neal threw over his shoulder as he picked his limp son off Lillian and tossed him carefully over his shoulder. Beside him, with a strength that was unexpected, Gold picked Lillian up, cradling her to his chest.
"Why don't you ask your father." Peter challenged, a glint of madness in his darkened eyes. "Sometimes the people we should fear the most are the ones closest to us."
A shiver went down Neal's spine at Peter's words. "W-what's he talking about?" He asked Gold, alarmed when his father dismissed the question.
"Don't listen to him."
"You mean you haven't told him?"
Alarm growing, Neal looked between his father and Peter. "Told me what?"
"Why, about the prophecy, of course." Peter crowed, struggling to fight off the squid ink.
"What prophecy?" Neal demanded, taking in his father's suddenly ashen skin. "What's he mean?"
"The prophecy that says you've been tricked." Peter continued when Gold wouldn't. "Your father isn't here to rescue your son. He's here to murder him."
Refusing to allow them to be drawn into what was likely to dissolve into a screaming match on his son's side, Gold adjusted his grip on Lillian and turned to stalk into the jungle. Without looking back, he could tell that Neal had followed him and continued on. They needed to put as much distance between them and Pan, as quickly as they could, before the squid ink wore off. There was no telling how enraged Peter Pan would be that they had thwarted his will.
Pausing long enough for his son to reach him, Gold summoned his magic, transporting them to the opposite side of the island. It wasn't much, given that they couldn't leave the confines of the island itself, but it was a start. Pan was unlikely to mount a full-scale attack so long as Gold was there. Carefully lowering Lillian to the ground, Gold ran a cursory hand over her, sighing when he detected nothing out of the ordinary... until he felt the block on her magic.
Startled, he searched for the source, eyes falling to the cuff around her wrist. Hand glowing, he reached for the cuff, letting out a faint cry of shock at the backlash his attempts at removing the cuff caused. Drawn by the sound, Neal came closer, gently placing Henry on the ground beside Lillian.
"What the hell is that thing?"
"I don't know." Gold muttered, touching the cuff, careful not to use magic this time. It wouldn't budge, not matter how hard he pulled, and he doubted a knife would be able to cut it off either. "But, I believe this is similar to the cuff Greg and Tamara placed on Regina."
Sighing heavily, Neal lowered Henry to lay beside her. Pan's earlier claim that his father was here to murder his son troubled him more deeply than he'd like to admit. "What the hell was Pan talking about?"
Gold didn't even turn to face him. "Oh, don't mind him," he dismissed, far too easily for Neal's peace of mind, reaching to brush a few loose curls from Lillian's peaceful features.
"He said you were gonna murder Henry!" Neal exploded, unable to help himself.
"He plays games. Mind games." Gold reminded him shortly, rising to gesture at the sleeping pair between them. "The important thing is, we got Henry and Lillian, and we go away."
Letting go for now, Neal looked around the small clearing. "Where are we?"
"The other side of the island," his father said, reaching out to make sure no one had followed them. "We're safe here for the time being."
Nodding distractedly, Neal knelt down to gently shake Henry awake. "Hey, hey, Henry. It's me." To his alarm, Henry didn't even stir at his touch. "Hey, it's your dad."
"He… he can't hear you," Gold told him quietly, catching sight of the look of foreboding on his son's face.
"Then wake him up. Wake them both up."
"Pulling them out of the spell could be dangerous. Especially given the block on Lillian's magic." He explained, able to see that Neal was displeased by the thought of his son being under magical influence for so long. "They'll wake naturally in a few hours. They'll be fine."
"All right," Neal agreed easily enough, his next words sending a shard of ice through Gold's heart. "Then you can explain to me what the hell Pan meant. This prophecy he's talking about, why would he say that you'd kill Henry?"
Rather than outright deny it, Gold chose to avoid the question completely. "Oh, I don't know, to create a wedge between us."
"That's not a denial." Struggling to control his temper, Neal sighed heavily and rose to his feet. "No, this has to do with what happened when I found you. You thought I was a hallucination." He reminded his uncomfortable looking father. "You said that you had to do the right thing and save Henry! What did you really mean?"
"Baelfire…"
"It's Neal!" He exploded, unable to stop himself, sick and tired of his father's excuses and refusal to see that things had changed between them. "Now stop dodging and tell me what's going on."
Staring at his son for several silent heartbeats, Gold could feel his heart sinking. "There was a seer, and she told me of a prophecy," he began quietly, leaving no detail out. "That a boy, would he reunite me with you. And that boy… would be my undoing."
"Henry."
"I didn't know it was gonna be my own grandson," Gold rushed to assure him, already able to see his son slipping through his fingers. "Till I found you in New York and discovered you were his father."
"You were planning on getting rid of him, whoever he was, weren't you?" Neal asked in a low, dark tone. He didn't even try to hide his disgust. "To try and cheat fate? To get around the prophecy?" Correctly reading the guild on his father's transparent face, he began to back away. "You cold-blooded son of a bitch. You were gonna kill him."
"Yes."
Neal jolted forward, placing himself between his father and his son. "Get back. You stay away from him!"
Biting back the pain his son's actions brought, Gold did as he asked and took several steps back. "That was then. Things have changed. I… I didn't come here to Neverland to hurt Henry. I came here to save him."
"After what you just told me, I'm supposed to believe you?!"
"I won't lie to you, Bae." Gold assured him quietly, willing his son to believe him. "Self-preservation has been a nasty habit I've had my whole life, but I came here to break it. To do the right thing and save your son." He paused, searching his son's mistrustful gaze for any sign that he would relent. "Even if that meant sacrificing my own life. You have to trust me."
Lowering his voice, Neal matched the quiet intensity of his father's plea. "How can I?"
Enchanted Forest
Watching intently as Rumple scanned the masked boys, searching desperately for his son, Pan allowed a smirk to bloom across his face. "You don't even recognize him, do you Rumple?"
"Well, how could I when he's wearing a mask?" Rumple spat back flatly, never taking his eyes off the dancing, hollering boys.
"Well, he might be wearing a mask, but that's not the reason." Pan drew closer, lowering his voice to a whisper as he helpfully pointed out the boy in questions. "Look at him… playing with other boys, out in the world. He's happy, Rumple. That's why you don't recognize him."
Reaching out, Rumple grabbed hold of Bae tightly. "Bae," he breathed in relief, ripping the mask from his out of breath son's face. "Baelfire, are you all right?"
"I'm fine." Bae returned heatedly, tugging his arms free from his papa's grip. "Why are you here?"
"I know you think I don't care about you, son, but I do." Rumple vowed with burning intensity. "And I'm here to prove it."
Bae glared at him. "How?"
"Go ahead, Rumple." Pan encouraged dryly, already aware of what the man before him was going to do. Rumple had always been predictable like that. "Show him."
"Papa!" Bae moved, trying to pull himself free from his father's sudden vice-like grip. Recognizing the beginnings of one of his father's spells, he began to shake his head. "What are you doing?!"
"I'm protecting you." Rumpelstiltskin told him patiently, weaving the spell that would take them home.
"You're gonna regret not taking my deal, Rumple!" Pan shouted as they began to disappear in a swirl of magenta smoke, scowling angrily that his will had been thwarted.
The moment they reappeared in their small hovel of a home, Bae finally wrenched himself from his father's death grip. "Don't touch me!" He shouted, slapping away his father's touch. "Get away!"
"It's all right now, Bae." His papa soothed, mistaking the reasoning behind his son's anger. "You're safe."
"Safe?" Bae repeated incredulously, unable to believe what he was hearing. "I was never in any danger. The Piper was my friend!"
"He may have wanted you to think that, but you have to believe me. He would have hurt you."
"Why? Who is he? Another person that you abused with your power?" Bae asked rapidly, growing more and more upset with each question.
Eyeing his son, deciding how to best answer his questions, Rumple finally said, "His name is Peter Pan. I've known him since I was a boy." Even now, years after the fact, it was difficult to talk about, especially after encountering the boy again. "Growing up, we were incredibly close."
Anger forgotten until he had some answers, Bae peered curiously at his papa. "So you're saying he's immortal, too."
"He wasn't always." Rumple admitted quietly. "He went to a place called Neverland. He betrayed me, Bae. He can't be trusted."
"What happened?"
"All that matters is that he fooled me for a long time before I'd finally seen his true nature," his papa told him darkly, eyes glinting with renewed anger. "And it is darker and more repulsive than you should ever be exposed to!"
Bae's glare returned. "He can't be any worse than you." He muttered mulishly.
"I had to protect you, Bae. I didn't have a choice."
"Stop lying because I know that you did!" Bae exploded, hating that his father treated him like a stupid child. "I know about the deal Pan offered you. He said all you had to do was ask me if I wanted to come home."
Stricken, Rumple stared at his son in disbelief. "He told you?"
"He said that way I'd know if you really trusted me, if you really cared."
Stomach sinking at how true Pan's parting words had been, Rumple moved towards his son. "Oh, please, Bae."
"You didn't need to." Bae muttered, refusing to look at his father's wounded expression. "I would've chosen to come home. I would've chosen you! If only you asked." Anger fading, Bae raised his gaze to meet his father's bleakly. "Maybe we could've found a way to be a family again."
"We can be." Before he could react, Bae shoved past him and fled the house, leaving his father alone. "Bae. Bae!"
Neverland
From his spot beside Henry's slumbering form, Neal stared down pensively at his hands. Though desperate to make his son believe in him, Gold had observed his wishes and stayed where he was.
Unable to take the silence any longer, Gold spoke up. "Tell me what I have to do to gain your trust," he told his son quietly, "and I will."
Neal rose from where he hovered protectively over his son and Lillian. "Give me the Dark One dagger." He ordered, cutting right to the heart of the matter. "I know you. I know you wouldn't have come all the way to Neverland without it. It's the only thing that can control you; the only thing that could stop you. You wouldn't take any chances with it."
"I don't have it."
"Why're you lying?"
"I'm not lying to you, Bae." Gold defended himself, inwardly wincing at the scorn in his son's voice. "I hid it, so Pan couldn't get it, so he couldn't stop me."
"So un-hide it!"
Knowing his son wasn't going to like his answer, Gold steeled himself. "My shadow took it."
"Your shadow." Neal repeated dryly, giving a harsh scoff as he shook his head. "Man, you got an answer for everything, don't you?"
"I'm telling you the truth, I swear."
Neal sighed heavily, rubbing at his brow. "You know, maybe you did hide it." He admitted, taking in his father's earnest expression. "Maybe you do want to do the right thing. But that's today. What about tomorrow?"
"I've changed."
"Have you?"
"Yes." His father replied without missing a beat.
"The prophecy still stands." Neal reminded darkly. "You save him, he's still your undoing."
"I'm still willing to die for him."
"What happens if we get back, and you're reunited with Belle, and you realize that the only thing standing between you and your happy ending is my son?" Neal didn't wait for an answer. "And suddenly, undoing doesn't sound so great."
"You are my happy ending." Throat tight, Gold gestured between himself and Neal. " This is, because it's my redemption. I can be strong, son, if you have faith in me." (Lowered voice)
"You know, when I was living here and sleeping in a cave," Neal began in a lowered voice, eyes misting over at the memories. He stepped closer to Gold and held out a hand, something his father rushed eagerly to hold. "I used to dream of you coming to rescue me. But then I'd wake up and remember how you left me behind. You left your own son behind for the power of that dagger. How can I think that things would ever be any different?"
Pressing his palm tightly against his father's, Neal back away slowly as the squid ink did its work.
"Neal." Gold breathed dangerously as the shimmering purple veil covered him from the neck down. "What are you doing?"
"I'm gonna find Emma and the others and get the hell off this island." He retorted coldly, hiding the gathering tears in his eyes as he bent to pick Lillian and Henry up. "Then I'm gonna get my family back home."
"You can't go into the jungle alone." Desperate to make him stay, to keep his little family safe, Gold grasped for some way to do so. "Without my power to protect you, Pan will capture you all!"
"I'm sorry, I've got no choice." Adjusting Lillian on one shoulder, with Henry thrown over the other, Neal turned towards his distraught father. "We're safer without you. Good-bye, papa."
He strode from the clearing, his papa's quiet sobs echoing behind him.
"How can you be so sure it's a map?" Posing the question to Hook, Mary Margaret was more curious than doubtful.
"There was a short time in Neverland when Baelfire was aboard my ship." Hook explained tightly, keeping the emotions that always rose up when he spoke of such things under control. "I taught him to navigate using the stars. What you're looking at is the fruit of my labors."
"Then you can read it." Regina eyed the pirate, deigning him useful once more.
Hook began to shake his head. "Sadly, no."
"I thought you just said you taught him how." David scowled at the suddenly useless pirate.
"Yes, but I also taught Neal something else. The key to being a pirate… secrecy." While not ashamed for teaching the boy how to protect his work, he recognized how unhelpful such a thing was. "The best captains conceal their maps in a code. He was an apt pupil."
"So, you're saying the only person who can read this map is Neal?" Mary Margaret asked, hoping Hook was wrong.
Emma clenched the coconut tightly between her fists. "Which means the only person who can read it is dead." Throat tight and eyes burning, she stormed out of the cavern.
David went after her. "Emma, wait!"
"Now is not the time, guys." She spat over her shoulder.
Mary Margret followed after them. "I can't imagine even imagine the sadness you must be feeling."
Emma whirled to face them. "I'm not sad. I'm pissed." She hissed, eyes blazing. "Yes, Neal just died, but I lost him years ago." Her voice broke, revealing how much pain she was actually in. "All that time thinking that he didn't love me, only to find out that he did, and by then it was too late. I can't even tell him how angry that makes me, or how much it hurt when he left, or how terrified I was when he came back, because… I knew the moment I saw him, I never… I never stopped loving him." Shaking her head, fighting back tears, Emma turned on her heel and stalked away from them.
David stopped his wife from going after their daughter. "She'll be okay."
"Really?"
"We have done everything we can." He told her, hoping it would make her feel better.
"But that's the problem." Breath hitching, Mary Margaret looked towards the defeated slump of Emma's shoulders and bit back her own tears. "I have no idea how to comfort my own daughter. It is the first thing a mother learns, and I don't know how."
David drew her close. "I know. I feel the same way. But she's so upset, and we need to get moving…"
"How can we even blame her?" Mary Margaret asked, not really expecting an answer. "If you died, I wouldn't be able to move on."
David's eyes flared wide in panic. "You would-" He stopped at the concerned, somewhat suspicious look his wife gave him and stuttered through his words. "I-I'm just saying. Every day we're here, something bad could happen. And if it did to me, I'd want you to move on, to continue, to be happy."
Smiling sadly, Mary Margaret cupped the planes of his face. "That's really sweet, but nothing is going to happen to you, not while I'm here."
Drawing him down, she placed a gentle kiss on his lips. Sighing deeply, he let her go, watching as she drifted towards their daughter, the wound on his side burning.
Somehow, Neal was able to carry both his son and Lillian through the jungle long enough to stumble upon a small campsite. Carefully setting the pair down, arms beginning to scream in protest, he approached the long since put out fire and reached out, feeling. Though he had never been trained, hanging around magic users for the better part of his youth had taught Neal a few tricks.
Closing his eyes, a relieved smile broke out across his tired features when he finally felt it. "Emma."
"You were so close to finding her."
Shooting to his feet, Neal spun around in time to see Pan waltz out of the jungle, while at least a dozen lost boys surrounded him. Swallowing thickly, he glared at the approaching boy, biting back a sneer when Peter knelt down beside Lillian to brush loose curls from her face.
"You disappoint me," Pan rose with a heavy sigh, wearing an expression that was reminiscent of a disgruntled parent. "I thought I taught you better: Never break in somewhere unless you know the way out."
"I'll remember that for next time." Neal snapped flippantly.
Peter began to shake his head, tsking lightly. "Well, there isn't going to be a next time. But don't blame yourself." He cooed mockingly when Neal's eyes narrowed in anger. "Your father could've protected you sure. But, then who would've protected Henry from him?" He chuckled faintly, planting seeds of mistrust even now. "Talk about a rock and a hard place."
"I will get my son and Lillian back," Neal vowed as Pan and the lost boys closed in. "No matter what it takes."
Pan sighed. "You're not getting it. That's not the problem. You got them, I got them back. It's the game." At once, the playful veneer he wore vanished and was replaced by a dark, prowling one that sent the hair on the back of Neal's neck prickling. "No, my boy, the real problem for you is that there is no escaping Neverland. No one gets off this island without my permission."
Neal gave a shameless smirk. "I've done it before."
Pan tilted his head derisively. "Did you? Look where you are now." He gestured around, pleased at the wary, bewildered expression Neal wore. "It's like you never left."
"You saying you let me go?"
"I'm saying everyone's where I want them." Pan answered with a wide smile. At that moment, Henry gave a soft mutter, while Lillian shifted restlessly. Eyes snapping from Lily's peaceful visage, Peter's smile fell and he scowled blackly at Baelfire. "Something to chew on." He muttered, gesturing for Felix to gather Henry. "You know where to take him."
Without a word, the blond lost boy reached down and slung Henry across his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Two lost boys held Neal in place as Felix strode off with Henry, while Pan knelt beside Lillian's slumbering form. For the first time since her arrival, her face was peaceful and serene. Reaching down to brush a few curls from her forehead, Pan slid his arms beneath her shoulders and knees, standing with her in his arms.
"No! Henry!" Neal began to struggle violently, unable to shake off the tight hold of the lost boys as his son was carried off. "Lillian!"
"Oh," Pan cooed, twisting just so to smirk at Neal, who seethed at the way he cradled Lillian. "Don't worry. It won't be for very long."
"I'm alive! L-Lillian! I'm alive!"
"Just until I've reset the board." Pan continued as if Neal hadn't spoken, adjusting his grip on Lillian and gazing down at her tenderly. "See, the game is about to change."
With that, Pan swept from the clearing after Felix, leaving the lost boys to drag Neal towards the cages. Still trying to throw off the grip of the lost boys, Neal called for his son and Lillian, despair taking root in him the further away they were taken from him.
"Don't give up hope, Henry! Lily, don't you dare give in to him! I will come for you both, I promise!"
By the time the squid ink wore off, Gold knew it was too late. Though not in tune with the island as Pan, and no doubt Lillian, he could still sense the way the magic moved and shifted, and knew in his heart that Neal had been captured. Sighing deeply as feeling returned to his limbs, he turned at Belle's approach.
"I'm so sorry, Rumple." She whispered, standing several steps away. "Neal should have trusted you."
"How could he? After everything I've done?"
"Well… he may not know what was in your heart, but I do." She proclaimed confidently, smiling faintly when he twisted to look her her. "You would've protected Henry. You would've even given your own life to show Neal that you've changed."
"Are you asking me, or do you truly believe that?"
"I know it with all my heart. What I don't know is why you look so upset now." Her brow twisted in concern at his listless expression. "I mean, Rumple, he's alive." She reached out for him, frowning when he barely reacted to her touch. "Baelfire - your son is alive. You have something to live for."
"But the prophecy remains." Gold reminded her quietly, hating himself for still even considering a way to evade his fate. "Henry's still my undoing."
Realization dawned across her face. "That's why you're upset. You were so determined to die for the boy, but now? Having something to live for has brought back that nasty habit of self-preservation, hasn't it?" Eyeing him sadly, she gently prodded. "Rumple… habits can be broken, can't they?"
"Go away, Belle." He muttered in return, refusing to listen to her contemplate his choices aloud. "I don't want to talk right now."
Within seconds, she was gone.
Henry stirred awake with a soft groan, groggily taking in the continuing celebration of the lost boys. Blinking, he swung his gaze around to see Lillian asleep, head cradled in Pan's lap. The boy was gently carding his fingers through her dark curls, wearing an open, adoring expression that caught Henry off guard. Clearing his throat, cheeks burning, Henry looked around in confusion.
"What happened?"
"Oh, you fell asleep." Pan answered blithely, as if he were commenting on the weather. His fingers continued to tangle in Lillian's hair. "You and Lily. Must be because neither of you've had a proper night's rest in a while."
"We did?" Lillian's voice was quiet and strained, and Pan's hand fell away from her hair. Disappointment was visible in her gaze before she rose to a seated position, face mere inches from Peter's. Raising a hand, she rubbed at her aching neck. "When did we…"
"No, don't worry." Peter reassured them, highly amused at their sheepish expression, and inwardly grateful Lily didn't remember the rush of magic before they were placed under the sleeping spell. "It was just a little catnap. The night's still young."
"Wait." Face screwed up in thought, Henry struggled to reach the faint, fluttering memory. "I… I remember something. My dad… when I was asleep, I… I could've sworn I heard him calling for me."
Pausing, Henry turned to Lillian, whose eyes were filled with tears. Without a word, she slid an arm around him, silently offering comfort. Peter watched them, feeling a twinge in his chest, one he forced himself to ignore, at the obvious pain Lily was in. While he knew nothing would please her more than to learn that Baelfire was alive and well, it wasn't time yet.
Arching a curious brow, Peter leaned forward. "Really?"
"It must've been a dream."
"Well, how can you be sure?" Peter asked lightly.
"Because… 'cause my dad's dead." At that, Lillian's arm tightened, and he leaned closer to her, seeking comfort.
"I'm sorry, Henry." Peter told him, sounding sincere enough that both Henry and Lillian looked at him. "It makes sense for us to dream about the things we've lost and the things we hoped for, like your father being alive and your mother coming to find you." His voice was sympathetic, but matter of fact. While he had alluded the fact that Rumple was on the island to Lily, he could tell that she no longer truly believed there was any rescue coming. She, of all people, knew how difficult it was to travel to and from Neverland. "But eventually, you'll find new things to dream about. And when you do, they'll start to come true."
For the first time, Henry peered at him with open, unguarded curiosity. "How do you know?"
"Because that's what I did." Peter returned honestly. "And now you're here. Neverland used to be a place where new dreams were born. You can bring that magic back, Henry. And we can be your family." Deciding to leave it at that for now, he stood and addressed the celebrating lost boys. "I'd like to play a song, a song for our guest of honor… Henry." Reaching out, he clapped a hand on the faintly smiling boy's shoulder.
This time, Lillian didn't flinch when he produced his pipes. Instead, she listened intently when he began to play the low, haunting melody. Even when she found a home on Neverland, when she was happy, she never stopped hearing the music. Eyes closing, she missed the triumph that flared in Peter's darkened gaze when he saw her giving in. Luca, catching sight of her, carefully drew her into the dancing, smiling when she began to giggle.
For his part, Henry was completely overcome by the music Pan was playing. Swaying gently at first, he began to join in with the other lost boys, picking up a pair of sticks and using them to tap out a beat as he began to circle the fire. Halting his playing, Peter lowered the pipe from his lips and smirked victoriously at the sight of them.
"You can hear the music now, can't you Henry?" He asked, voice echoing loudly in Henry's ears.
"Yeah!"
Smirk widening, Pan watched the boy join in the celebration, eyes tracking him until they caught sight of Lillian standing in the crowd alone. Pupils blown wide, she stared at him, wearing a feral expression that made something in his gut clench. The whooping cries of the lost boys became white noise as he prowled towards Lily, who didn't protest as he pulled her close enough that their bodies aligned.
"Oh, how I've missed you, love." He murmured, fingers tangled in her curls, before she drew his mouth to cover her own. Her fingers tangled in the collar of his tunic, fingertips stroking against smooth skin, and he gave a quiet groan against her mouth. "You'd best stop, Lily," he warned with a dark chuckle, "or I won't be able to pretend to be a well-behaved boy much longer."
Her eyes flashed with heat. "Good."
Thoughts? Comments? Questions?